


and you're making the typical me break my typical rules

by Lefauxlucifer



Series: Smile, Inc. [2]
Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, F/F, Sexual Content, don't ask me how this became a kaochisa angst fic halfway through i honestly couldn't tell you, sorry not sorry kaoru deserved the screentime, the last scene is kokomisa smut you have been warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26921737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lefauxlucifer/pseuds/Lefauxlucifer
Summary: Casting aside the remnants of her sanity, Misaki takes a leap of faith into the fantastical world of Tsurumaki Kokoro, knowing full well that nothing good can come of it.And not long after she finds her bearings, she comes face-to-face with Seta Kaoru, a caffiene-induced hallucination who reminds her that things can, in fact, get worse.Fortunately, she's already well-acquainted with the role of a straight man in a Vaudeville comedy duo, and in the unlikely event she's in desperate need of acting advice, she can always pay a visit to Shirasagi Chisato, someone whose acute disdain for Shakespeare wannabes rivals her own.And when push comes to shove... Misaki isn't the only one who realizes that old habits die hard.Not even God can save them now.
Relationships: Okusawa Misaki/Tsurumaki Kokoro, Seta Kaoru/Shirasagi Chisato
Series: Smile, Inc. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964317
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	and you're making the typical me break my typical rules

**Author's Note:**

> for context reasons (read: so this isn't nearly as jarring), you can find part 1 [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24693163)

I. "You can't hide in there forever, you know. Everyone's dying to meet you, too. You promised," Kokoro presses up against the bathroom door, her impatience out in plain sight.

"Just give me a minute," Misaki groans, because she’s _not_ a morning person (heck, she’s _barely_ even a person).

“I brought your favorite. The strawberry shortcake from the bakery downtown,” Kokoro casually mentions, definitely as a gesture of goodwill and not as a thinly-veiled attempt at bribery.

So Misaki mulls it over. She’s decaying, her lungs are full of thorns and mildew, and her bones are held together with vines. 

If she wasn’t half-awake and fully regretting it, she’d put up a fight.

"I’ll introduce myself," she says as she throws the door open and staggers out. She’s still nervous, so she takes Kokoro's hand in her own for moral support, and it's daunting.

That for once, she has something to lose, something so eerily precious to her that it may as well be her very life.

*****

As if on cue, a girl rises from her seat with a certain elegance and sweeps a hand through her hair in such a practiced manner that Misaki has to wonder if she's always this flamboyant.

Apparently, she is, because with a moment's notice, the girl brandishes the spirit of a true thespian and recites a passage from what Misaki vaguely remembers from having taken half a year of English Literature as the worst of Shakespeare.

“Ah, forgive me for my cheek, dear kitten. For a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”

“Romeo and Juliet?” Misaki answers, as if she were truly an unsuspecting rabbit hopping headfirst into the lion's den.

“For never was there more an eloquent depiction of man's own folly, of nature's fleeting benevolence, if ever there was," the girl proclaims, staring indefinitely off into the distance.

"They call me Seta Kaoru," she sighs romantically, and to Misaki, that can only imply there would be some godforsaken reason _not_ to use her given name.

"But you, my sweet kitten," Kaoru turns to her, tossing in a kiss to the back of her hand for good measure, "may call me tonight."

And the only meager solace she can gather is that one day, this Seta Kaoru will come face-to-face with whichever charlatan runs their wretched universe, and she sincerely doubts this girl will be able to justify the space she’s filled.

“God has given you one face, and yet, you make yourself another,” Misaki returns in kind. If this is what happens when she operates under the suspension of disbelief, then kindness is no longer an option.

"Ah, to recite Hamlet with such fervor, that it moves my very soul. How truly...fleeting..." Kaoru declares, and though the evidence is purely circumstantial, Misaki has the sneaking suspicion she’s definitely a few couplets short of a sonnet.

"You can probably guess, but Kaoru plays a mean guitar. Then there's Hagumin on bass, and Kanon's on drums," Kokoro cheerfully interjects before muttering something darkly under her breath, something Misaki would like to catch but can't, not unless she wants to miss her grand entrance.

"I'm Misaki. Kokoro's... _girlfriend_ ," she channels the mentality of a seasoned corporate workslave. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

II. "I don't like it," Kokoro admits, her voice a hesitant whisper. She's pouting, Misaki notes, seemingly indignant.

And she thinks it’s oddly cute. That even someone like Kokoro can get jealous and even overprotective.

"It's because of Kaoru, isn't it? When she said all those things and..." Misaki probes.

Kokoro looks up at her, half a step from full-on frowning, and though it's not quite her fault, she feels complicit in this, like she’s betrayed a sacred trust.

"Mhm. She jokes around like that with everyone, and it's fine 'cause Kaoru has a girlfriend who'd kill her if she did something like that seriously. But I...I can't stand it, Misaki! I thought it'd be nice and we could all get along or something. But then I ended up just wanting to have you all for myself," she says softly, placing Misaki's hand to her chest so she can feel exactly where it hurts too much to bear.

"I love you," she whispers into Kokoro's ear with the best reassurance she can give.

But the night is still young, and Misaki is acutely aware of her own heartbeat as Kokoro snuggles up to her, smiles back at her like what they have is something so special she wouldn't trade it for the world, and Misaki knows it's not about whether or not Kokoro says them back, but she does.

She does, and then, then she kisses Misaki goodnight and tells her 'sweet dreams', and lets Misaki steal a couple more, until they've spent the better part of an hour indulging in each other, until Misaki's running out of breath and they've just about made up for lost time.

Which is confusing. Misaki's supposed to be getting some shut-eye, resting up for an eventful Sunday, but this, this right now with Kokoro is a thousand times better than any dream Misaki's ever had, and only the compounded exhaustion of a full week's worth of overtime can force her asleep.

III. Thunderous applause. Blinding lights. And an endless sea of smiles.

Once upon a time, a girl named Tsurumaki Kokoro had a dream, a selfish dream, perhaps, but one she could truly call her own.

And though inexperienced, she understood how easy it would be for that dream to slip right through her fingers and out of her reach.

To chase it, she enlisted the figures beside her onstage, beautiful people who shine brilliantly in their own right, who have dedicated their life to support her foolish ambitions, who mean more to her than she can ever put into words.

Like always, her audience is following her closely, and hanging on her every word, cheering her on whenever they can.

And yet… she can’t return the favor. She can’t light up the room as brightly as she has in the past. She can’t pour her heart and soul into these lyrics.

Because something’s still…missing.

And when she shakes her head and regains her composure and waves as they walk off-stage, she tenses up just looking deeper into the crowd.

After all, Misaki’s there, and her heart is doing cartwheels in her chest because her girlfriend's eyes are on her, and only her, and now, she wants Misaki back in her arms, repeating the words they said to each other that fateful night until they're impossible to forget.

So nothing makes even a little bit of sense, and Kokoro has no choice but to avoid touching upon the obvious and act like everything’s fine as she thinks of prospective venues for their next live.

Though it’s frustrating. She’s always pushed for a concert in the clouds, but Kaoru keeps telling her that the skies don’t hold favor with the will of man or something, which makes things tricky.

In that respect, Michelleland sounds like an agreeable compromise, with something for everyone. And just in case, she’s keeping the civic center and her personal yacht as backups so no one feels forced into agreement.

No one…including Misaki.

Because maybe there's still a way to make this work. Her parents think of everything as though it were a business, meant to be run efficiently, with its own unique and intricate structure, and inherent chain of command. Is Hello, Happy World really any different?

So with all their members in tow, all they’re missing now is a manager.

IV. "You know practice ended half an hour ago...right?" Misaki casually mentions, silently hating herself for what she’s about to do.

Because try as she might, Okusawa Misaki is someone who doesn't know what's good for her, who is still paying the price for caving in to her girlfriend's puppy-dog eyes in a moment of weakness.

"To have made merry to the heart's content, is that not so human? The lady doth protest too much, methinks," comes the aggravating reply from a girl who's already exceeded her quota for trouble this month.

So life is a party and she’s the pinata (but if Misaki could leave well enough alone, she wouldn't be here to begin with).

"Everyone hears only what he understands," Misaki replies, unenthused. It’s been a long eight weeks, but she’s finally familiar with the inner workings of Seta Kaoru, a girl who evidently despises both simplicity and modern English.

With her, hesitation is weakness, an offense punishable by an endless tirade.

And the truth is, Misaki is every bit the idealistic child she once was, She knows she can’t save anyone, and yet…she hasn’t stopped trying.

She doesn't live for recognition or think of herself in any lofty way. She just… can't stand people who remind her of herself.

But it doesn't matter why Misaki is doing this so much as that she is.

It's then that Misaki notices the book loosely held in Kaoru's hand, a cutesy pink article complete with a wide assortment of neatly arranged stickers that are so girly Misaki would swear it belonged to just about anyone else.

"So…is that a relic of your dark and distant past, the one that so famously began the winter of your discontent?" Misaki keeps a straight face as she speaks her language, in a desperate attempt to steer the conversation in the direction it needs to go.

"We are, each of us without question, burdened by shame and regret. But to have done differently, that is a luxury which lies beyond our feeble grasp, even with the best of our efforts."

And she can’t shake the feeling, that somewhere deep down is a sorrow this girl keeps hidden from a world that crushes people like her under the weight of its senseless expectations.

Though Kaoru’s act is nothing short of insufferable, she has to have her reasons. Misaki might be a coward and a fool, but she’s not about to abandon a friend in need.

"I'm not leaving till you are."

An ultimatum, one that Kaoru will most surely answer in kind.

"Love is such a wonderful thing, to bewitch the mind, and ensnare the senses. Yet it only ever seems… that through cruelty is it kind," Kaoru says with a flourish, setting the stage for her tragic tale of woe, of a Juliet...and her Romeo.

*****

In an alternate universe, Okusawa Misaki is spending her evening in the comfort of her own apartment, with a freshly-brewed cup of coffee, and her girlfriend at her side, and enough Disney movies to last the night.

But this is her life now, and she can't ignore that which threatens the balance she's so carefully kept all these years. She has an obligation to Hello, Happy World to see this through till the end.

And self-respect.

…Mostly self-respect.

Like any problem, there's got to be a logical answer. Sure, Kaoru prides herself on being unclear, but all of Misaki’s teachers in middle school said she was a good listener (they also said she was rather mature for her age, which Misaki still thinks is a really polite way to question someone’s levels of serotonin).

Though it’s impossible to paint the full picture without both sides of the story, Kaoru’s lengthy little monologue gives Misaki a fair idea of the ins and outs.

And there’s nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.

After all, with Kaoru's looks and natural charm, it's hard to think there's someone out there she can't seduce.

Nor she can't imagine Kaoru forgoing her pride so easily.

For this girl to bring someone as eloquent and poised as Kaoru to her knees...she must be quite something.

But that's what she's here for. To succeed where Kaoru cannot. And from a tactician's perspective, those who are weak will not stay weak forever. For they will one day grow tired of being pushed down and rise up for themselves.

It's because of Kokoro that she's slowly remembering things she'd long since wanted to forget.

And there's still a chance that Misaki won't be able to change anything, a chance that this battle was lost before it even began.

But a warrior must breathe his last on the battlefield, surrounded by the carnage he has wrought.

*****

Misaki rings the doorbell just once, mentally preparing herself in the silence that follows. For failing to plan is planning to fail, and she's come up with exactly four in the time it took to walk from the station to the address of the apartment complex she received on Line.

“It's about Kaoru,” she puts forth when she hears muffled footsteps. “Do you mind if I come in?”

The latch shuffles, and the door swings open.

“So she's _already_ found herself someone new to keep her company in my absence.”

If, with her striking blonde hair and cheerful disposition, Tsurumaki Kokoro could be crowned a princess, capricious and free of all worldly desires, then the girl before her stands in stark contrast as a queen, regal and commanding, her very aura so stifling that Misaki can barely stand upright before her.

“For the record, I have no intention of coming between her and any of her _supposed_ kittens, not now, not ever.

If I could have any less to do with that scum of the earth, I _would,_ ” Chisato continues harshly, eyeing her up and down.

“I'm just a humble messenger,” Misaki attempts to smooth things over and maintain the peace as best she can. “She threatened to misquote MacBeth onstage if I didn’t give you this.”

Misaki places the diary into her hands, too quickly to be refused.

And to the untrained eye, it's as though Kaoru's ex-girlfriend would sooner dig her own grave than take her back.

But Misaki's come here to meddle, no more, no less. She might as well press some buttons.

“But it's nice to know I'm not the only one with my head on my shoulders,” Misaki remarks. "Ever since I met that girl, it's been nonstop 'Shakespeare this', 'Voltaire that'. And I can't begin to imagine what it's like, being her girlfriend and having to watch her flirt with everyone under the sun.”

She pauses, gauging her reaction. Kaoru must be quite something if the mere mention of her can draw forth the unconcealed ire of an actress renowned the world over, one who surely knows how to keep her composure.

So far, so good.

“You're better off,” Misaki goes for a triple axel as she skates on thin ice, careful to keep her commentary bounded and casual.

"Of course. Anyone would be," she dryly answers, a sign that Misaki has overstayed her welcome and should take her leave.

But she’s done what little she could. It's up to Kaoru to fight for the rest.

*****

There's a thin line between sophistry and hot air, and pinpointing where exactly to draw it, that's what's giving her trouble.

And in that department, this bothersome girl does her no favors.

For Shirasagi Chisato is on the cusp of setting fire to all that she once held so dearly.

Yet nonetheless, she finds herself drawn to it, to the prospect of exchanging her autonomy and peace of mind for the drunk ramblings and empty promises of a woman who has repeatedly proven herself both a clown and the entire circus.

So against her better judgement, she thumbs through each of the entries in this faded diary, reads each word with the utmost care, and much to her chagrin, her vitriol ebbs.

Because even if she knows that the Kaoru tucked neatly away in these pages is long gone, she lowers her guard all the same. Though that Kaoru—her Kaoru—is dead to her, it doesn't change that in her place, she's left behind a monster Chisato still wants to know.

No doubt that girl was expecting as much, that by subtly forwarding her own virulent distaste for Kaoru, she could manipulate reason and abuse the vestiges of Chisato's shattered heart for her own twisted ends.

As she nears the end, a note falls out and into her hands. And it's unlike her, but she unfolds it carefully, because buried deep under all that rampant cynicism... is now a small sliver of hope.

> [ _To Chi-chan, who extended a hand and her warm smile to a shy, awkward girl one summer eve, not knowing what would become of them both,_

> _Thank you_. ]

There, in Kaoru's neat, distinctive cursive are those words inked, not as a premise for reconciliation, she realizes, but for a far more sinister end.

And Chisato is not the silly girl she once was, to blindly oppose the winds of change.

No, she’s learned. And she has no intention of simply repeating the mistakes of her past.

But there are some things in this world that are simply too precious to give up on, and if they weren't, then she wouldn't be holding back tears as she hears one ring, then a second, followed by a shaky ‘hello’.

“My place in 20,” Chisato says through gritted teeth, leaving no room for debate as she hangs up.

*****

“My darling Chisato,” calls a voice that has brought equal parts joy and sorrow, here only at her own behest.

“Come in,” she curtly replies, not in the mood to waste her breath.

“Ah, and who would I be, to refuse a request from my better half? Mhm. Then do pardon my intrusion, love, but you look… troubled,” Kaoru notes, like she's been searching for an uncontroversial method of referencing the elephant in the room, if only to impede the bitter sound of silence.

"You would be, too, if your girlfriend of three years broke up with you via a scrap of paper she didn't bother to deliver herself," Chisato sighs, all but ready to throw her usual caution to the wind.

“But, if you would be so courteous… I thought that's what you'd want. After we had that argument... I thought you'd hate me. It was for the best,” Kaoru hastily explains in a mad dash for the exact words that would let her avoid Chisato's wrath.

"Then you're wrong, Kao-chan. Because I love you. I even love how you've changed.

But I hate how you keep up this act in front of me, like I'd think any less of you otherwise. I hate how sometimes it feels like you've become someone I don't even know anymore,” Chisato tells her, blinking back tears for the second time that night.

"And the closer I try to get to you, the more it feels like you're pushing me away. I'm not the type of person to ask you a question and settle for anything less than an honest answer. You can't just tell me you're fine and expect me to fall for such obvious lies, Kao-chan!"

"But it would be awfully uncouth of me, to take advantage of you like that. I couldn't possibly burden you further. Even if we are... "

Kaoru hesitates, as if she’s walking a tightrope amidst a tempest.

"Is that what you think, Kao-chan? That you're just weighing me down?" Chisato asks, forcing Kaoru to meet her line of sight. "But I want to know. What good is being together if all we can do is keep our secrets to ourselves, like we always have?"

"Then," Kaoru swallows hard, mustering up the last of her courage. "If I may be so bold..."

"You may."

On the cusp of receiving something too precious to put into words, Shirasagi Chisato yields the floor and sets a fresh pot of coffee to brew in preparation for the long night ahead.

V. She's sure of it, after meeting her once.

That her and Misaki are cut from the same cloth. That what this girl needs is just a push in the right direction, and everything will fall into place thereafter. That her worst fears will never come to pass.

So with nowhere else to be and nothing else to do, Shirasagi Chisato pours two cups of Earl Grey tea and seats herself across from a girl who is now a welcome visitor to the confines of her humble apartment.

For one good turn deserves another.

"First, let me apologize for inviting you here on such short notice. But I wanted to thank you properly," she says, sipping her tea. "If not for your kind words and stubbornness, Kaoru and I would still be at odds. Of that, I have no doubts. So please, do let me know if she ever gives you trouble."

"You flatter me, Miss Shirasagi. But anyone would have done the same had they been in my place. Besides, I...did say some pretty damning things about Kaoru, so I hope you don't take it to heart."

And it goes without saying that Chisato wouldn't dare. No, she has far too much respect for intellect to even think about it. If anything, after nearly a decade of being surrounded by idiots, she'd like to give credit where due, even if part of her would find it far more entertaining to trade blows.

"Perhaps. Though you don't have to be so modest around me. Your colleagues had nothing but praise for your work ethic. It seems you have a rather… _unique_ skillset. But that’s what I would expect, from someone worthy of standing beside Tsurumaki Kokoro as an equal,” Chisato observes, careful not to misstep.

"Ah, yeah, you've got me there," Misaki’s shoulders lower and she breathes what anyone would misconstrue as a sigh of relief. "Sorry if she's talked your ear off, especially about me. Kokoro can be… quite a handful with her friends. I'm sure you already know that, though."

At that, Chisato smiles, because that inkling of trust is enough to work with as it is.

“I wouldn't say we were ever friends,” she corrects. After all, her current relationship with Kokoro is a touch more nuanced than irrationally adversarial. “But if it puts you at ease, I have no intention of dethroning Kokoro, long may she reign.”

And it is truly baffling, to have the wind knocked out of her sails like that. She can picture her love in the background, lamenting of how the mighty have fallen.

Maybe this is what it feels like, to walk a mile in Kaoru's shoes.

“In any case, you may rest assured that you have nothing to fear from me. I only called you here today to make sure you didn’t plan on ignoring it. Of course, I don’t think either of us was under the impression that you would let her stay like that forever.”

As she blinks, Misaki is the spitting image of a deer in headlights, looking as though she had just been told the world was flat and vaccines caused autism.

“This is going to sound evasive, I know. And I’m sorry for that, I really am. It's just, with that last bit… I don't have a clue what you're talking about Miss Shirasagi. And you wouldn't be insulting my intelligence if you spelled it out for me. I'm still learning, after all. Especially when it comes to Kokoro.”

So it could be that she's reading too much into it, but if she didn't know any better, she'd say Misaki has (through no fault of her own) found herself dead center in the midst of a power struggle nothing short of chilling.

But flawlessly executing her role even in spite of sudden changes in the script is the hallmark of a talented actress.

And as Seta Kaoru knows: if there's one thing that can tempt Shirasagi Chisato, it's a challenge.

"You can't think Kokoro was always like that, can you? There are things in this world that will last forever, Miss Okusawa. But not one will last indefinitely," she clears her throat. It goes without saying that her impression of Kaoru needs some work.

"Ask the right people the right questions, and you may find yourself a step closer to the right answers. Friendly advice. Take it or leave it," she concludes, sipping the last of her tea.

But even if she is a far cry from the second incarnation of the great Bard, Shirasagi Chisato does not shirk responsibility.

And this is all she can do to sow the seeds of doubt in hopes of quelling the regrets of the past, all she can do for a stubborn old friend who would rather sacrifice everything than change.

VI. Though her head's in the clouds, Tsurumaki Kokoro has both feet firmly planted in reality and an armful of DVDs to seal the deal.

Because there's no better excuse than movie night to belt out Disney songs until her voice is hoarse, all while Misaki writhes in mock agony.

But that's all got to be an act. If she hated it that much, she wouldn't keep inviting Kokoro back over like this, not when she knows exactly what she's in for.

And there's no use trying to deny it. Kokoro's even heard her sing along once or twice (nothing gets past her trained ears).

Not that she minds. After months upon months of dating Misaki, she's realized that Kaoru was right all along: movie night is never really about the movies.

And she has bigger fish to fry.

'Cause ever since she slid the disk in and switched on the TV, Misaki's been staring at the screen. And it's way worse than how she gets after a long week at the office. Like she could at least save her zombie impression for Halloween!

Costume ideas aside, Misaki's off the usual mark (and as the resident expert on all things Misaki, Kokoro would know). This just isn't like her. Even if Misaki says she's not really much of a movie person? Something about them being too much of a time commitment?

Which is confusing, considering Misaki sits through hour-long meetings even when she's off the clock, only to later gripe that they all could have just as well been emails.

But that's just what she'd expect from Misaki.

Or more accurately, it's what she'd expect from Okusawa Misaki, M.D. of Smile, Inc.

And that's part of what drew Kokoro to her in the first place.

Because that Misaki was a workaholic who didn't differentiate between an orientation for new hires and a presentation to the board of directors. And Kokoro's good at noticing these sorts of things. Misaki is the type to take a sense of pride in her work, even if she's been roped into it against her will.

And even if she habitually downplays the sincerity of her efforts, she really puts her best foot forward, whenever she gets the chance.

Kokoro thinks that's what lets her shine so brightly, even if Misaki still can't see that for herself. She's developed an immunity to the metaphorical carrot on a stick, and used the cutthroat nature of the corporate world to rise among its ranks. 

But fangirling about her girlfriend from dawn till dusk won't get her anywhere.

So it's time to start asking the important questions. Like did Misaki get a new team member? An exciting new project? Fancy spreadsheet software?

To anyone else, those would be reasonable guesses, (and honestly, that last one sounds like a quality gift idea), but Misaki wouldn't be able to keep it to herself if that was all there was to it.

Kokoro knows that for a fact, since she's kept an eye on her since the day they met. So if she's only supposed to take time out of her busy schedule for the most crucial of updates? Misaki is as important to her as people get!

Which is why she can't stand to see Misaki like this for much longer, consequences be damned!

There's just this unbearable tension in the room. Like one of those parties, the kind where you’re not allowed to have any fun, but instead, you’re stuck with all these boring people who ask questions about the future of the steel industry, and complain about gas prices. Investors, that’s what her parents call them. The people Kokoro's always forced into impressing.

And they make everything so complicated, too, when it's really all meant to be simple. They get mad when she gives a presentation and skips all the boring parts or gets straight to the point, and even the combined efforts of Hello, Happy World can’t get them to smile. They’re impossible!

But when Tsurumaki Kokoro doesn't like something, the name of the game is simple: change it.

She wasn't raised like the rest of them, to turn a blind eye to injustice and need. If everyone thinks she's made of sugar and spice and everything nice…

They're right.

And at this point in her life, Kokoro is pretty good at getting what she wants out of people, at fundamentally altering their outlook on life. It boils down to a matter of willpower, and that's how she manages to win without fail.

Because she wants people to smile more than they themselves want to frown.

And what people don't know can't hurt them.

"You know, Misaki, if something's bothering you, you can just tell me about it and I'll listen, right? Oh, should I have rented out a theater? You got kinda mad the last time I did that, so I thought this time... " she says, and by now, the movie is a thing of the past, barely even background noise.

"It's not that," Misaki gives her a weak laugh in response. "I've just...been thinking. About us."

"Go on," Kokoro says, taking the bait and scooting closer (because that's what she's here for).

“It's kind of a long story, but after practice, Kaoru and I had a...discussion about her performance, and before I knew it, I was at Shirasagi Chisato's doorstep. It was like bringing a knife to a gunfight," Misaki continues with a grimace, and that's when the pieces start to fall in place.

“Anyways, after they got back together, she just invited me over for tea. And she said a lot of things I didn't quite get the first time around. But I think I'm slowly figuring it out?”

"Mhm. She's fun, isn't she? I'm glad you got to meet her," Kokoro nods along, and maybe Misaki has a point. This is kind of restrictive, having to stay in place for that long. She gets up and switches off the TV, offering a hand that the other readily accepts.

"You and I have...very different definitions of the word 'fun'," she sighs, and that alone puts a smile back on her face (because if Misaki can manage that level of sarcasm, she's totally back to normal).

"But you still like me," Kokoro teases, inching closer.

"You're right. I do," Misaki reluctantly admits, a faint red coloring her cheeks as she tries to look away. "So I'd appreciate it if you'd put up with me a little bit longer."

As the words leave her mouth, she winces, apparently fully aware of how cliche she must sound.

And there's not a single way in Hell Kokoro can resist Misaki, not when she's like that.

Because of that right there has implications, and they're all implications that Kokoro likes.

But beyond that, it's kind of weirdly nice that Misaki keeps coming up with all these ways to say those words to her indirectly. It's nothing short of moving, Misaki's divergence from her usual stark cynicism.

And it just goes to show that after everything they've been through together...Misaki is still the weird one.

So Kokoro turns, and then, she makes Misaki turn toward her, and then she leans in, with the discipline of a monk and the stealth of a ninja.

Her girlfriend never sees it coming.

And by the time Misaki's caught on to her little scheme, Kokoro's lips are on hers like no tomorrow.

In fairness, it's not so much that they're moving too fast, but that Misaki is so slow on the uptake that it makes Kokoro wonder if she hasn't done something wrong. She still can't get over how Misaki thought those kisses at the amusement park were accidental! Honestly, what good is Kaoru's extensive experience going to bat with women if all Misaki does is throw curveballs left, right, and center?

It's totally not her fault, right?. Misaki is just unfathomably dense, and she's lucky Kokoro is head over heels for her.

That's why she's got Misaki on the ropes before the clock strikes twelve, lithe fingers against flannel. She knows Misaki won't stop her.

So she'll pull away and let their foreheads touch, and honestly, they could stay like this for god knows how long.

But _someone_ just isn't having it, and Kokoro can tell. Within a minute, there's a tug at her sleeve, a silent plea for something more.

And Kokoro is as every bit as nice as she is underhanded.

"You know I can't read minds, Misaki. I won't know what you want unless you tell me."

Which sounds calm, even mistakably cordial.

It’s anything but.

****

The lock clicks behind them, and Kokoro gets to work on those pesky shirt buttons, plucking at them one-by-one.

Because it's unfair.

Kokoro was already about as straight as a circle, but Misaki makes her imagination run wild, and god, does she make her work for this, put everything she has into chipping away at her walls while Misaki tries to keep everyone and their mother at arms' length.

But it's an exquisite honor, being her one and only girlfriend, and if that wasn't the case, then this wouldn't be a secret reserved for her eyes alone.

And blue? Is definitely her color.

She won't say she saw this coming, but she was right. Those impulse purchases were so worth it! She’s just too busy admiring how good Misaki looks in lace to say ‘I told you so’. Misaki never stops nagging about her spending habits, but Kokoro just thinks it’s the least she can do to reciprocate. Because no matter how expensive these trifles get, Misaki’s smile is still priceless.

She tests the waters, placing soft and gentle kisses to Misaki's neck. Misaki takes her breath away, so it's only fair she returns the favor, and yeah, it's suboptimal, rushing through this. But she'd be lying through her teeth if she said that, after all their time together, she hadn't thought about getting Misaki all to herself like this, at least once.

Kokoro might be the scion of the Tsurumaki family, but she's only human.

And she lives for the look on Misaki's face, something even more precious than a smile. It gives traction to that evil voice in her head, the one that keeps telling her to be selfish and take what she wants.

She's been overcompensating for it, trying to be on her best behavior so Misaki's opinion of her stays the same as ever.

But Misaki's already had a chat with Shirasagi Chisato. By now, she _has_ to know.

And that's all the more reason to covet what she has while she still can.

By the looks of things, Misaki doesn't care. Because Kokoro is awful at keeping her hands to herself, and they snake lower and lower , until she's sliding athletic shorts off and down Misaki's legs, until she's up close and personal with the second half of her little 'gift'.

And they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so it takes every ounce of self-control she has not to reach for the camera and ruin the moment.

Next time.

For now, she's content with removing Misaki's last line of defense and dipping her fingers into wet heat, because how can she not? Misaki is equal parts cute and hot as hell, all corded muscle and wanton desire.

And even if she wasn't, it's a universal truth that Tsurumaki Kokoro stops at nothing to get what she wants. And she's not blind. She can tell Misaki wants her, even if she's shyer than most. Kokoro's willing to bet she'd even give up her five-minute coffee breaks at work for five minutes more of this.

And sure, Kaoru told her not to push her luck, but where's the fun in that?

It turns out that toying with Misaki really does bring out the worst in her.

So when she stops, it's only because Misaki puts a hand over her mouth, because what Kokoro wants, she gets, and what she wants is to hear her, god, does she ever.

"Misaki," Kokoro whines, somewhere between a touch disappointed and flat-out annoyed. "That's not fair. We talked about this."

Her fingers play a gentle tune on her thigh, because if that doesn't tell Misaki what she's missing out on, nothing will.

"Fine," she relents, "but if the neighbors ask..."

Kokoro grins and gets back to work, and the feeling as Misaki tenses up around her fingers, the sound of her voice as Kokoro's thumb brushes her clit, all that does is egg her on.

So she'll give Misaki what she really needs, a devilish mix of teeth and tongue against her neck. She doesn't need to say anything, all she has to do is watch, watch as Misaki's legs start to match her breathing under this careful, metered rhythm, let her thumb trace lazy circles, and listen as her voice gets caught in her throat, a hair's breadth away from seeing stars and begging her for more.

Because Tsurumaki Kokoro is a nightmare dressed like a daydream, and the world could sooner divert a river from its course than deny her nature.

**Author's Note:**

> devious? deceptive? kokoro? never.
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoyed the latest thrilling installment of the rollercoaster ride that is misaki's life (and now even the foreshadowing has foreshadowing...). i may have gone insane writing this so if it is _that bad_ , please tell me.
> 
> next time, things get real.


End file.
